Trader: “Markets Are Sleep-Walking Into Disaster” As Trump Becomes “Autocrat”

They say it’s better to be pissed off than pissed on, and it’s a good thing because former FX trader Mark Cudmore is pissed.

First the self-described perma-bull got “worried” about complacency in the face of overwhelming evidence to support the contention that stocks weren’t pricing in the risk associated with America’s rapid descent into an autocratic nightmare.

Then, on Monday, Cudmore let America have it, proclaiming “Brand USA” forever tarnished in the wake of President Trump’s “hasty pen scratches” that served to ostracize an entire religion (apparently it wasn’t enough for Trump to have an entire gender protesting his presidency).

“The consequences may be slow to play out but are manifold,” Cudmore wrote. “The attraction of the U.S. as a base for wealthy individuals, multinationals and skilled workers has just been marred.”

Well on Tuesday morning, we get the latest from the angry Bloomberg contributor and I think it’s safe to say he has shed the perma-bull label – perhaps forever.

Via Bloomberg’s Mark Cudmore

Markets Are Sleep-Walking Into Disaster

Trump is doubling down on his hardline autocratic approach, ensuring that markets won’t be able to overlook the implications of his immigration order. U.S. equities look worryingly vulnerable. I apologize if this piece seems very similar to three of my last four columns, but markets are exhibiting exceptional complacency. That attitude may shift rapidly.

Today, futures are signaling that the S&P 500 Index may break the post-election upward trend and also fall below the 2017 volume-weighted average price of about 2,273.3. That means that on average, recent buyers are losing money while the technicals suggest holders of stocks that have made money may want to consider taking profit

Trump’s initial order suddenly suspended the rights of a small minority of permanent residents, which was worrying enough. Firing the acting attorney general for questioning the legality of such a move just hammers home that the rules could change quickly for anyone dealing with the U.S. The established rule of law is now in doubt

The problem this highlights is that it now becomes a subjective assessment of where this behavior stops. Trump’s willingness to rule by decree, without consulting government departments or stakeholders, means it’s impossible to rule out the prospect that he might seize assets or unexpectedly implement some form of capital controls. That seems drastic and far-fetched, but the actions of the last few days are also extreme, so how do investors know with confidence what the limit will be?

Equity volatility measures are near record lows which indicate that protection is under-owned. Traders have forgotten what a correction can look like and, given the level of hope and optimism out there, panic could spread quickly

With both global growth and earnings looking positive, and the possibility of pro-growth Trump policies to come, there’s no reason — yet — to believe in a sustained bear market for U.S. stocks. However, the potential for a short- term shock appears to be far greater than traders are allowing for

Writing about a subject is the best
way to educate yourself about it, and when I flick through past work I remember how much
they taught me, if no one else. Mainly they taught me that I didn’t know very much. But they
also taught me that most other people didn’t know much either. Thus, some key themes
which stand out include the illusory control of policy makers, the presumed knowledge of
those looking to them to actively do good, the ease with which we fool ourselves, and how
best to protect capital in the face of such unavoidable uncertainty. -- Dylan Grice